


Southern Hospitality

by SunshineAndRoseWater



Series: The Road to Recovery [6]
Category: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Post-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2016-02-02
Packaged: 2018-05-17 20:24:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5884234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineAndRoseWater/pseuds/SunshineAndRoseWater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mikey is here because of what Bob did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Southern Hospitality

**Author's Note:**

> Another unbeta'd scene.  
> Chronologically this comes after One Step at a Time.

Bob keeps his head down. Maybe they won’t notice him and his crew can just finish the trade and go. This settlement is way outside their operating range, but his crew has been considering expanding out south, hoping there was more market. Now Bob wishes they’d never tried.

The locals are watching them closely, caution and mistrust evident on their faces. They have likely only agreed to give Bob’s crew gas and other necessities so they can get the hell out of dodge. Right now Bob would be more than happy to do just that.

In a nearby pen Patrick Stump, of all people, is feeding chickens. The chickens are clucking loudly as Patrick pours the feed into the trough with one hand, keeping his son balanced on his hip with his other. So far he hasn’t looked Bob’s way and Bob hopes he never does. Bob doesn’t want to have to deal with anyone who reminds him of…

“Yo, Bryar!” One of his crew, a fat guy named Clay, calls. Bob hopes Patrick didn’t hear that. “Take this back to the car.”

Bob hoists the box of food and heads back to their cars, glad to be away from Patrick.

There’s a guy leaning on the hood of Bob’s car. He’s tall and lean and dark-skinned and Bob doesn’t recognize him at all.

“Hey, Bob. Ya got a minute?”

“I don’t know you,” Bob replies. He continues passed the guy and loads his box in the trunk.

“Yeah, but I know you,” The dude says. “C’mon, just five minutes, man.”

“First you say a minute and then you say five.”

The guy’s face darkens. “Don’t act stupid, Bob. Now, come on.”

He pushes away from the vehicle and heads off. Bob shouldn’t follow, but Goddamit, he’s curious. He grabs a thick Bowie knife from the trunk and hides it in his coat before jogging after the guy.

They head down an alleyway and weave through a few haphazardly planted gardens.

“How much farther?” Bob calls. He’s kept a few feet of distance between them, should the guy turn on him or something.

“Just to the barn.”

_I’m not going in any fucking barn_ , Bob thinks. _That’s where I’d get murdered_.

Turns out they don’t. The guy leads him passed the door and then points around the side of the barn. “Over there.”

“What’s over there?” Bob asks.

“Just look you fuckin’ scaredy cat.”

Bob looks and his jaw drops open.

“Hey,” a voice says.

“Mikey,” Bob says quietly. Not sure how to react. He has a million thoughts swirling in his head. _You’re free. You’re alive. You’re injured._

Mikey is injured. A thick line of stitches runs from the top of his forehead through his left eyebrow, it breaks where his eye is, then continues just below his eye all the way to his chin. His eye doesn’t open all the way, but it looks as if the only reason is because the bulk of the stitches won’t let it. His eye appears mercifully spared.

Mikey glances over Bob’s shoulder. “Thank you, Matt.”

The guy, Matt, is just behind Bob. He’s watching them closely. They all remain silent for a long uncomfortable minute.

“Thank you, Matt,” Mikey repeats more firmly. It’s a clear dismissal.

“I’ll stay close.” Matt stalks off.

Mikey waits until he’s sure Matt is gone before he speaks. “Do they know?”

Bob shrugs and shakes his head. “Nobody’s said anything to me. I’ve been back twice and they didn’t even let on that you had…” Bob waves a hand. “What happened to your face?”

“He didn’t much like me spending a night with you.”

“Christ,” Bob curses. “Did you tell him we didn’t-”

Mikey shakes his head. “Wouldn’t’ve made a difference. Might have actually made it worse.”

“Christ,” Bob repeats.

“You’re not…” Mikey starts. “You’re crew, they’re not…”

Bob shrugs. “We’re supposed to expand south, but after this misadventure they won’t want to. I’ll make sure they don’t, at least not here.”

“Good.” Mikey runs a hand through his hair, it’s shaking.

“Are you-”

Mikey cuts him off. “Look, the reason I dragged you out here is to say thanks, y’know?”

Bob is surprised. What he did was risky, but doesn’t warrant thanking. At least, he doesn’t think so. “Welcome.”

“But I still don’t want to see your fucking face again, alright?”

Clearly Mikey got some of his nerve back. “Feeling’s mutual.”

“Or your crew,” Mikey adds.

Bob nods. “As soon as we load up, we’re gone.”

Mikey nods. His legs are starting to shake.

“That all?” Bob asks.

Mikey looks away and takes a deep breath. “You haven’t seen anyone else?”

“No,” Bob tells him. “If they’re out there, I haven’t seen them.”

“Okay,” Mikey sighs. “That’s all.”

Bob leaves, sidestepping Matt as he rounds the corner. When he’s a few yards away he glances back. Matt is carrying Mikey away.

When Bob gets back to the car his whole crew is waiting for him.

“Bob,” Clay calls. “Where ya been?”

“Sightseeing,” Bob says.

“Well, better get a good look in. We ain’t comin’ back. Whatever happened to ‘southern hospitality’?”

“I don’t think we’re in the south just yet,” Bob replies, climbing in the driver’s seat.

Clay shrugs. “Well, let’s head home. These people don’t want our trade anyway.”

Bob nods. “Yeah, this place isn’t worth our time.”

The caravan pulls onto the main road and heads out. Bob watches the buildings in the rearview until they are out of sight. He never sees that settlement again.

**Author's Note:**

> Did my work make you feel emotions? Come talk to me about it on my tumblr: [sunshinedontcare](http://sunshinedontcare.tumblr.com/)


End file.
